mixingbowl | Try to believe walking down the lonesome road

Try to believe walking down the lonesome road

[With the start of their internships fast approaching, it's no wonder a good portion of the students in 1-A are too excited to properly concentrate during class. Aizawa, picking up on their lack of focus, eventually ends the class a few minutes early with a tired, exasperated sigh. Izuku grins guiltily at their teacher's retreating back. He can't exactly blame his classmates for distracted like this--picking their hero names and their first internship is pretty exciting. And a big step toward being pros.

Fidgeting with the bandages on his hands, Izuku turns in his seat and just happens to catch Todoroki's eyes. There's the barest flicker of hesitation before Izuku offers up a cheerful smile.] Todoroki-kun, have you already decided where you're going for your internship?

[The classroom's already emptying out, but there's no real need to hurry out like everyone else is. Besides, Izuku hasn't really gotten a chance to talk to Todoroki since the festival. Remembering how subdued Todoroki was during the medal ceremony has made it difficult for him to shake away his concerns. So Izuku gathers up his books slowly and waits for an answer.]

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["!!!!!" his mind thinks helpfully (which is really not so helpful at all), when Todoroki just takes another bite without warning.]

O-o-oh. [He's still frozen to his seat, but he recovers enough to ducks his head, too flustered to figure out why he's so pleased by this.] Th-that's good! You should have some more if you want!

[He'll hold out his crepe for Midoriya to take another bite. There's a small, amused smile on his lips.]

I just did. Do you?

...yeah. [If he sounds a little distracted at first, it's because he's committing that smile to memory. (What? It's a nice smile!) Then, he leans in and takes a mouthful of crepe from Todoroki's, humming happily at the bright taste of strawberry and chocolate.]

I've been wondering... [As Izuku settles back in his chair to nibble at his apple and cinnamon crepe, he tilts his head to the side curiously.] Todoroki, is this the first time someone's confessed to you?

[All signs point to "yes", he thinks.]

[Another bite of his own as he considers the question. From elementary to high school, he was homeschooled. That hardly left any time for him to meet other people. Let alone have them confess to him.

This is the first year he's really had people to call friends. Also the first time anybody's told him they had feelings like that for him.]

Yeah.

... I guess I panicked a little.

[Izuku bites his lip to fight off a smile.] Maybe just a little. I probably would have done the same, though.

[Is it sad that he's used to rejection, and would have handled that a lot better than someone confessing to him?]

You would've run away from a girl who was trying to confess?

[Because that sure was how Shouto dealt with that.]

[Okay, fighting off the smile is a lost cause as soon as he imagines that.]

M-maybe. [A pause, and then a sheepish chuckle.] Um, most likely I would've just started rambling at lot at her until she got really confused--I don't see how that's any better.

Hm... I think we're both pretty bad around girls. Or at least people confessing.

[Trying to imagine himself confessing- that seems nervewracking. Ishida is braver than he is in this department, but Shouto doesn't really have anybody he wants to confess to. Still, this fake dating thing with Midoriya is nice.]

I knooowww, don't remind me! [Izuku groans, his crepe the only thing keeping him from flopping bonelessly onto the table.]

It's not just the confessing part. I had so much trouble talking to Uraraka-san at first... and all the other girls in our class, too.

[... Cute.]

But you can talk with her easily now, right? That's progress.

[Izuku perks up.] Yeah! It's... gotten a lot easier. I'm really happy I have her as a friend now. [He's so unabashedly pleased by this, his smile bright.]

Oh--and you and Iida-kun, of course! [He adds swiftly, looking just as happy as before.]

[He's committing that smile to memory. It's good to see Midoriya when he's at ease with himself.]

I'm glad you're my best friend, Midoriya.

[Thanks for melting the ice I encased myself in.]

[Best friend. His eyes immediately begin to prickle with tears.]

I'm glad you're my best friend, too, Todoroki. [He turns a smile, shaky with emotion, on Todoroki just then, and it's about ten times warmer and brighter than the one from before.]

[What would he give to put this memory in a jar so he could always come back to it? There's a warmth heating up his core. Midoriya called him his best friend too- and Midoriya has so many good friends. Somehow he always seems to feel so much better whenever he's with him.

Words are failing him, so instead, he gives a warm smile. Something only Midoriya is ever going to see and hopes it's enough to convey the swell of emotions in his chest.]

[Though Izuku doesn't normally have a habit of taking pictures, he wishes he could find some way to preserve this smile right now without making it incredibly weird. It'd be pretty selfish of him to want to keep it to himself, though, wouldn't it?

A second later, Izuku realizes that they've just been sitting here and smiling each other, and that makes him duck his head again. Not that it helps, when he just ends up grinning rather stupidly at the table instead. He can't help it! It's hard to hold back the smile when he's feeling this light and happy.]

[ Midoriya really is an amazing person and he's lucky to have him in his life. He doesn't think he'd have gotten over his personal roadblocks without him.

He's fairly certain Midoriya is still smiling, so there's nothing to worry about. Still, he wishes that smile was directed towards him. ]

... Did you want another bite?

[Izuku laughs softly, making the crepe's cardboard paper crinkle dully in his hands when he shifts.]

Sure. [He leans in again, still smiling.] You know, it might be easier if we just switched for a little bit.

[That's the reasonable thing to do but...]

I like having you this close.

[Hearing those words makes him pull back to stare, a healthy blush overtaking his face again. How does Todoroki manage to say things like that without even blinking??]

Th...this isn't exactly the most practical way to share. [Izuku mumbles quietly in response. Which isn't exactly a "no" or a disagreement.]

Somethings are with trading practicality in for.

... Midoriya, are you feeling okay?

[Izuku nods weakly. Though being a student at UA tends to mean that his life is a bit of a roller coaster, he almost feels like it's been nothing compared to his interactions with Todoroki today. Even someone like him, who's known to be incredibly emotional, has ended up feeling overwhelmed.]

Y-yeah, I'm okay! You just surprised me a little, that's all.

[ And to think, it's only been a day of pretending to date. That means many many more days of this bizarre emotional journey. ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to.

I...I didn't say it was a bad thing, Todoroki. [He smiles, toying with the pointy end of the crepe holder.]

It's a nice kind of surprise. [For one, Izuku doesn't think he'll ever get used to someone telling him that they care upfront like this. He's worth something to Todoroki, and to his other friends, too. How could he not be happy about that?]

[ He's never quite sure if he's saying the right or wrong thing. But he's sure Midoriya would tell him if he was being an actual disaster. ]

Then I hope you have a lot of nice surprises.

It's the same for you. [He watches Todoroki warmly, feeling brave enough to give a light touch to Todoroki's arm, as if that would get his point across better.]

Want some more of my crepe? [Izuku's knee bumps into Todoroki's under the table accidentally, prompting him to mumble out a soft apology. As if he needed any more reminders of how close they're sitting.]

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